"
"Mayweseetheroomfromwhichtheicturewastaken?
"inquiredthescientist,withasuaveintonationwhichHatchknewwell。
Kalegrantedtheermissionwithawaveofthehand,andusheredthemintotheballroom,wheretheictureshadbeenstored。FromtherelativecenterofthisroomTheThinkingMachinesurveyeditall。Thewindowswerehigh。Halfadozendoorsleadingoutintothehallways,totheconservatory,andquietnooksofthemansionofferedinnumerableossibilitiesofaccess。Afterthisonelongcomrehensivesquint,TheThinkingMachinewentoverandickedutheframefromwhichtheRubenshadbeencut。Foralongtimeheexaminedit。Kalesimatiencewasainfullyevident。Finallythescientistturnedtohim。
"HowwelldoyouknowMrdeLesses?
"heasked。
"Iveknownhimforonlyamonthorso。Why?
"
"Didhebringyoulettersofintroduction,ordidyoumeethimmerelycasually?
"
Kaleregardedhimwithevidentdisleasure。
"Myownersonalaffairshavenothingwhatevertodowiththismatter,
"hesaidointedly。
"MrdeLessesisagentlemanofintegrity,andcertainlyheisthelastwhomIwouldsusectofanyconnectionwiththedisaearanceoftheicture。
"
"Thatisusuallythecase,
"remarkedTheThinkingMachinetartly。HeturnedtoHatch。
"JusthowgoodacoywasthathemadeoftheWhistlericture?
"heasked。
"Ihaveneverseentheoriginal,
"Hatchrelied,
"buttheworkmanshiwassuerb。PerhasMrKalewouldntobjecttousseeing-
"
"Oh,ofcoursenot,
"saidKaleresignedly。
"Comein,itsinthegallery。
"
Hatchsubmittedtheicturetoacarefulscrutiny。
"Ishouldsaythatthecoyiswellnigherfect,
"washisverdict。
"Ofcourse,initsabsence,Icouldntsayexactly;butitiscertainlyasuerbwork。
"
Thecurtainsofawidedooralmostinfrontofthemwerethrownasidesuddenly,andDetectiveMalloryentered。Hecarriedsomethinginhishand,butatthesightofthemconcealeditbehindhim。Unreressedtriumhwasinhisface。
"Ah,rofessor,wemeetoften;dontwe?
"hesaid。
"ThisreorterhereandhisfriendseemtobetryingtodragdeLessesintothisaffairsomehow,
"Kalecomlainedtothedetective。
"Idontwantanythinglikethattohaen。Heisliabletogooutandrintanything。Theyalwaysdo。
"
TheThinkingMachineglaredathimunwaveringly,straightintheeyeforaninstant,thenextendedhishandtowardMallory。